LONDON, Aug 12 (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday, asking him to refrain from attacking Israel and saying that war was not in anyone’s interest, his office said.
Starmer spoke with Pezeshkian as part of efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East. Recent killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut have drawn threats of retaliation against Israel.
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According to Sky News, which first reported the story, the phone call lasted for 30 minutes.The British premier had spoken with U.S. President Joe Biden and European allies earlier on Monday.
Starmer told Pezeshkian he was deeply concerned by the situation in the Middle East and called on all parties to de-escalate to avoid further regional confrontation.
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“There was a serious risk of miscalculation and now was the time for calm and careful consideration,” 10 Downing Street cited Starmer as saying, adding that he had underlined his commitment to an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The focus should be on diplomatic negotiations, Starmer said.
Iran’s president said war anywhere in the world was in no one’s interest but that states had the right to “punitive responses against an aggressor”, the official news agency IRNA reported.
“The support of some Western countries for the Zionist regime (Israel) is irresponsible and contrary to international standards since it endangers regional security by encouraging the Zionist regime to continue its crimes,” Pezeshkian told Starmer.
The leaders agreed that a constructive dialogue was in British and Iranian interests, the prime minister’s office said.
But Starmer told Pezeshkian that such a dialogue could only be furthered if Iran ceased “destabilising actions”, including threats against individuals in Britain, and if it stopped aiding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
(Reporting by Catarina Demony and Alistair Smout, additional reporting from Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Sandra Maler and Kevin Liffey)
